Pantone, the gurus of color, have chosen ‘Peach Fuzz’ as their 2024 Color Of The Year
Normally I don’t pay much attention to trendy colors, because at the end of the day I’m going to plant what makes my heart sing, no matter the color!
However, peach just happens to be one of my favorite colors in the garden, so I’m taking this golden (or should I say ‘peachy’) opportunity to share my very favorite peach-colored plants and how I use them when designing.
Peach as a Visual Referee
It’s easy to create floral harmony using peach-colored plants.
That’s because the color peach often contains soft shades of orange and pink while also having subtle yet deep and rich tones of red, orange, or yellow.
It’s this wide range of hues and tones within the main color that makes it such a fantastic ‘referee’ among plants that aren’t quite working together.
In this example, the bright orange-red flowers of the Firecracker Bush (bouvardia ternifolia) were slightly jarring to look at when placed near the lipstick-red flowers of the Pineapple Sage (salvia elegans).
However,when placed between the two plants, the ‘Lady of Shalott’ roses, each containing a subtle combination of apricot, yellow, peach, and deep orange, help unite the two plants, resulting in a cohesive garden bed.
Peachy Color Echoes
Peach is one of those colors that has loads of other descriptors: apricot, salmon, orangey-red, yellow-orange, etc.
And because of the undertones of peach (red, pink, orange, and yellow), magnificent complex color echoes can be created, making it one of the easiest ways to begin adding harmony back into your garden.
In this garden bed, the peach ‘Chantilly Peach’ snapdragon (antirrhinum majus, from Annie’s Annuals) echoes the darker tones of the nearby euphorbia ‘Blackbird’ and heuchera ‘Peach Flambe.’
The peach color echo acts as a beautiful ribbon, weaving throughout the garden bed, tying it together.
Wake up subtle colors
Browns, grays, and greens can often get lost in the landscape if not thoughtfully placed near plants that help accentuate their colors.
For example, notice how the geum’s small and airy peach flowers help prevent the grouping of green grasses from fading into the background.
The result is still lush and serene, yet the peach flowers help prevent the green from fading into the background.
Another example is the peach dahlias that bob above the maroon foliage of the surrounding plants.
The peach colors harmonize with the browns and bronzes while complimenting the small red tubular flowers of this mystery plant.
I wonder if it’s a fuchsia magellanica ‘Purple Mountain’ – does anyone know what it might be?
Sutble yet stunning focal points
Focal point plants aren’t just those with bright colors that scream for your attention. Softer colors, like peach, can also make an impact without being in-your-face.
For example, a single phormium ‘Jester’ makes a statement with its soft peachy-apricot foliage and upright form.
I especially like the random stripes of green in the leaves, which also help it to blend with the surrounding grasses.
Versatile Companion Plants
As mentioned above, the many subtle hues and tones found within peach flowers and foliage make it one of the most versatile plants for combining with others, making it compatible with just about any other color.
In fact, I can’t think of any other color that wouldn’t look fabulous nestled against peach, be it blue, red, orange, purple, lavender, pink, brown, and everything in between!
And finally, here are just a few of my favorite ‘Peach Fuzz’ inspired plants. Whether that glorious color comes from bulbs, annuals, perennials, shrubs, or succulents, my garden wouldn’t be the same without them.
Bulbs, Annuals & Perennials
Flowering Shrubs & Foliage
Succulents
Roses – of course I couldn’t forget to include roses and their many stunning, peachy shades.
I thought I’d end this post with a photo of my daughter’s wedding flowers, just as I was getting ready to press them.
The dahlias, roses ,and ranunculas were in the most beautiful shades of apricot, yellow and peach. Perfection.
Enjoy and in the comments, below, please share some of your favorite ‘Peach Fuzz’ inspired plants for the garden!
17 Comments
Congratulations to your daughter! I wasn’t sold on the color of the year at first, but this collection of peachy flowers & more has me changing my mind. So many lovely options!
Hi Nicole, and I’m glad you enjoyed the post and welcome to the ‘peachy’ side of gardening! 🙂
Good Morning Rebecca! Yes, peach-colored flowers are great to design with, and in flower arrangements.
You have some of my favorites in your photo selection. Thank you for sharing!
Good Morning, Sabrina, and thanks! I hope you and Freeland are staying warm these days – brrrrr!
Peach and orange are my favorite colors. Thank you for many new ideas as always.
Best wishes to the newlyweds and the wedding flowers were beautiful.
Thank you, Kathy, and happy new year!
Thank you for sharing Rebecca! Absolutely lovely as always! I love peachy tones with bronze and blues, but never thought of them with reds before. Love it!
Wishing you a Happy New Year and many blessings for 2024..
Cynthia Austin Tanis
Oakdale, Ca
Thank you, Cynthia, and so glad you enjoyed today’s post (and Happy New Year, to you, too!)
Thanks for the peachy parade of plants.
Sally Holmes is one of my favorite roses, but be sure to give her plenty of space — she can get really big (at least here in California).
How in the world did I miss ‘Peachy Parade of Plants’ for my post’s title? That’s perfect! 😉 I had a huge Sally Holmes climbing along the top of my fence (it’s the one in the pics) and it wanted to grow to 20′ and beyond. It was the most magnificent rose ever, providing months and months of blooms.
If I could only have one rose it would be ‘Lady of Shalott’. I have her beside the yellow roses ‘Julia Child’ and ‘Tottering by Gently’ and burgundy verbena. Your color combinations are inspiring; I will think about peach companion plants differently. Thanks for a great article.
I’m with you, Mary, ‘Lady of Shalott’ is my very favorite rose of all. Thanks for the nice compliment, too. 🙂
The red tubular plant looks like a cuphea. My favorite peach plants are Heuchera ‘Caramel’ and Geum ‘Mai Tai’ used together!
You’re right, Carolyn, it looks like a cuphea but I’m not familiar with a variety with maroon foliage (but if I see one I’m definitely buying it!) Your geum and heuchera combo sounds absolutely gorgeous.
Excise choices aI will have to try… especially that foxtail lilly.
Congrats on your daughter’s wedding! May you be blessed soon with grandchildren to pass down your passion and knowledge!!
Best regards,
Nevenka
*Exquisite choices I will have to try…
Thanks for the good wishes, Nevenka! That foxtail lily was my very favorite of all, but alas it made up its mind to never bloom again in my garden. 🙁